With consensual non-monogamy trending up as of late, according to this awesome article by Dr. Eli Sheff in Psychology Today, it’s become more important than ever to cover this wide-ranging topic.
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs and podcasts, there are many different forms of ethically non-monogamous relationships, including polyamory. And all of them are fairly misunderstood, especially to those individuals who are not already in some form of a consensually non-monogamous relationship.
The polyamorous lifestyle can also have its own unique challenges, as folks navigate relationships with multiple people at the same time – and often forsake their own time for necessary things like self-care and setting appropriate boundaries with their partners, friends and family.
For today’s episode, I invited Nolan Lawless, a licensed professional counselor and educator in consensually non-monogamous relationships to help me explore some of these potential challenges. Sure, some of these topics are also applicable to other forms of CNM, and even to other relationships in general, so even if you’re not in the lifestyle, this episode is definitely worth a listen.
We’re going to cover some of the ways you can start and maintain healthy polyamorous relationships in your own life. Nolan also shares some
helpful strategies for poly folks coping with difficult break-ups, potential issues with metamours and other relationship conflicts, feelings of jealousy, and managing self-care.
So, whether you’re already immersed in polyamory or simply seeking guidance on how to start living a poly lifestyle, this episode is for you.
Nolan and I will also discuss some of the potential hurdles that folks currently in polyamorous relationships might face when seeking clinical help with professionals who untrained in treating clients in consensually non-monogamous relationships.
Nolan also highlights the importance of thorough and healthy communication skills and their role in establishing and modifying boundaries within polyamorous relationships – and as you know, since I talk about the importance of communication all the time – this is a crucial point to any relationship in general.
If you missed tonight’s episode, or want to catch up on my podcast, you can listen to episodes on demand on my Voice America channel and via: iHeartRadio
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